Pass this along to all the 'mothers' in your life and to everyone who ever had a mother. This isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your life while you have them...no matter who that person is.

BEING A MOTHER...

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.' * * * The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. * * * That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. * * * 'What's wrong, aren't you well,' she asked? * * * My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. * * * 'I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,' I responded. 'Just the two of us.' She thought about it for a moment, and then said, 'I would like that very much.' * * * That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. * * * She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. 'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,' she said, as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting.' * * * We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. 'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' I responded. * * * During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation- -nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. * * * As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed. * * * 'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home. 'Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered. * * * A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. * * * Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.' * * * At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till 'some other time.' * * * * * * Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct .. somebody never took a three-year-old shopping. * * * Somebody said being a mother is boring .... somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit. Somebody said if you're a'good' mother, your child will 'turn out good'.... somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee. * * * Somebody said 'good' mothers never raise their voices .... somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.. * * * Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.... somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math. * * * Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books.... somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears. * * * Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery (or going through a long adoption process)..... somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten ... or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.' * * * Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back ..somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies. * * * Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings. * * * Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home....somebody never had grandchildren. * * * Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.* * *

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

sage words to ponder among the many slices of motherly wisdom listed above in caths post.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

i don't have my mother to express the sentiments that are proffered by most on this day. she was removed from my life in 1963 due to cancer. i was in 1st grade. lost my stepmom in 1987 to the same thing. i miss them both terribly.

but i do have the postive note for this day as i watch my son bask in the warm glow of my wifes motherly embrace. truely a beautiful thing to observe.

Mom's Day is bittersweet for those of us who have lost our mothers. Mine died in 2006, and even though I know she's gone, I still catch myself wanting to call her up to talk about the news, ask for advice, or share a recipe. For a nanosecond, I believe she's still with us...but phone calls are now received from my kids on Mother's Day. My daughter has told me many times that she never appreciated me so much as she does now, because she's a mother to a budding teenager! :wink:

_________________

"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman